St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-01-22
A cYPsv PARTY.
Life Among . Mysterious People Who En-
Joy . Perfect Government.

Joy . Perfect Government.
The makeup Of the usual party OF
Gypsies for the road is the same whcr-
ever you come upon any considerable
number. There will always be found
the scdate and quiet Gypsy of past the
middle age, with . wife who is far more
active and assertive than himself.
They are usually reserved and quiet.
| and eat. drink and live their quiet, con-
tented lives apparently little apart
from the hey-dey of the bosterous life
| Of the band. You will find three or
| four or more families that know these
two for the parent stock. and the elder
| ~ man and wife possess that air OF
| cantentment and repose which come
tom unquestioncd station worthily
won. They will travel in fine car
riage in easy comfort. may be. and
, such are Oftentimcs discovered to be
the ..king'' and .'Iuccn" o: this partic-
ular hand, though you would never
know it from any airs Of authority or
manner of dress. Yet their decisions
the mans upon the affairs Of the men, the
are absolute A Gypsy would rs soon
think Of becoming Gorgio outright rs
to have even an impulse to question
then. Indeed it is worthy of remark
here that Gypsy civil government, if it
may be given so dignine a term. would
seem to have always and almost uncon-
sciously been the very ideal Of ade-
quateness, perfection and simplicity.
Here. rs nowhere else on earth. law is
the perfect will OF people expressed
through designated authority. This
people by direct vote elect their rulers.
Authority no more dare an abuse of
power than dare the most insignificant
integral Of the concrete power
source question that power. So that
herc. with what your political and social
philosophers would be pleased to call a
semi-civilized people. is found govern
ment Of people by people for people.
infinitely more perfect in theory, and
exact aud true 10 theory in permanent
practice, than was ever even formulated
By sunnics. dreamer in all republics of
bcneiiccnt Gratoric symmetry rather
than actual liberty and equality under
hard tests of friction and use. There
are also founl dozen other families.
NAV be. Of these one or two may
i travel in wagons which alone have cost
small fortunes. But in the daily lives
and manner Of their owners there can
never b. found vanity and caste because
Of superior possession. nor envy among
less fortunate Rominy. who seem proud
rather than chagrined that their fellows
can show the gcntiles such respectable
belongings. OF these dozen or more
families every man and every woman
is master Of horse lore. horse care and
Of horsemanship. a lad of twelve or a
lass of fifteen is trader, a jockey and
= veterinarian. A number of animals
besides those i'm actual use always ac-
company the band. These are traded,
sold or added t. ut moments notice.
This summer. in Connecticut, 4 young
Gypsy with whom I was pilgrim
ing on being bantercd to sell
the one nag which drew orr little
democrat wagon. sold him on the spot
to some overwise farmers coming
from the town hilarious with drink, and
cody invited me- to assist in dragging
the vehicle into camp. some four miles
distant. On our arrival we were
greeted with cheers; but half suspect
it was not SO much from the camps
recognition of my Gypsy companion
thrift rs it was from the entire band
enjoyment in seeing the '.Gorgio chal,"
as they call me, Transformed into 4
nimble and tractsble grye (horse).
The band ALWAYS has three or four old
spac-wivcs-ol,l old women that remind
one Of the grewsOme Norma Of Scots
creation. Heaven only knows how
old these venerable and lively relies
are. But their virility. activity and
wisdom are marvellous. To Penctrate
the caution. deceit, cannincss and dab
lerie of these blessed witches is match
less work. For months l have
exercised my widest arts upon some Of
them. and am just able to discover they
are part human. am allowed by one
to occasionally come of an evening to
her tent and tell her of some OF tha
pleasant things of Gor.io life; and I'M
der frequent severe protest, to calmly
urge that all mankind are one. To
another, born before the century. |
have made poem. and am not blight
cd, so that | feel progress is making.
The camp smile on me. though. and
shake their heads betimcs. II there DO
aught in Gypsyism allied to the ancient
being (devil) himself. these aud raua-
les possess it all and communicate it in
their presence and influence. But taat
sort OF witchery is fading slowly out Of
the Gypsy people. Little by little the
younger blood. tendcrly enough, but
surely and stubborDly. refuses its mys-
ticism. dread and fetch glamour.
Edgar D. lTakcman. in Chicago Ncws.